A variety of loading docks have been devised to adjust to the height of different trailers to properly match the deck of the trailer to the height of the dock. By aligning the height of the trailer and the dock the loading and unloading of cargo is facilitated. Certain loading docks have also been designed to undergo very heavy weight-loads. Typically such docks are not mobile (as they are imbedded in concrete) and are generally referred to as “pit-style dock levelers.” Pit-style levelers are permanently installed in a concrete shallow cavity below the level of the dock floor. There are many non-mobile, pit-style levelers in the prior art. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,204,270, 4,068,338 and 4,928,340.
There are many other types of non-mobile dock levelers in the prior art. One such device is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,446 to Gould which discloses a reinforced platform pivotally mounted to the ground at one end and includes a support assembly having hydraulic cylinders. In operation the rear wheels of a truck trailer are backed onto the platform and then the non-mounted end of the platform is lifted by the hydraulic cylinders until the deck of the trailer is equal to the height of the dock. A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,792 to Cherry et al. which also discloses a pivotally-mounted and hydraulically-raised platform.
Loading docks of the prior art typically have certain disadvantages. Typically, loading docks for bearing large weight loads are not configured to be mobile or able to be so configured. Additionally, the majority of mobile loading docks require at least some level of manual manipulation by the user to move the dock into a desired position for loading and unloading of material. Typically, this requires a fork truck operator or other individual to manually connect the ramp portion of the loading dock to a fork truck. This can be done through the use of a loosely connected chain. The individual then must get back in the fork truck, move the ramp to the desired location and then get back out of the fork truck to disconnect the ramp. This is a very time consuming process which may take more than one individual to execute.
It would be desirable to have a mobile loading dock which can bear large weight-loads and can also be connected and disconnected to a fork truck and moved without the need for the user to leave the fork truck. It would also be desirable to provide a device for connecting a loading dock and the forks on a fork truck which is secure and safe and which also allows for easy maneuvering of the loading dock.
This device overcomes certain problems and shortcomings in the prior art, including those mentioned above and others, and provides advantages for a mobile loading dock not previously provided.